Paradip: The Paradip Integrated Fishery Harbour is now ready for smooth navigation of fishing vessels after dredging of the river mouth of Mahanadi.
The Port chairman, Rinkesh Roy , told a presser here on Thursday that the dredging operation by the Dredging Corporation of India has been completed.
Stating that there is a narrow window period between January and February to complete the dredging work smoothly in tranquil conditions and PPT has completed this task successfully, the chairman said now 04 metre depth is maintained at critical areas of the River mouth even during the low tide.
PPT has dredged the channel in two instances in 1998 and 2000 by engaging M/s. DCI Ltd. Marine department of PPT will soon install temporary buoys in the channel. The Port, in fact, has already floated tender for permanent buoys. It has laid concrete road connectivity and had installed lighting of the Fishery Harbour road.
It may be noted that the Integrated Fishery Harbour was constructed by PPT with the aid of ministry of agriiculture. The aim was to avoid eventualities inside the commercial harbour during shipping operations. The construction of Fishery Harbour was completed during 1995 and it was commissioned during 1998. Subsequently, it was handed over to Odisha government in 2011.
The fishery harbour is operational at Paradip located in the right bank of Mahanadi River about 1km upstream of the river mouth having width of 100 Mtr., for which maintenance dredging is required in regular intervals. The fishery harbour is presently managed by the Odisha government fisheries department. The local fishing community has been facing difficulties as the river mouth has been silted up over the years and the fishing vessels face hindrance to navigate during approach/exit from the fishery harbour. The Mahanadi River Mouth was last dredged almost 20 years back.
Port FA & CAO S.K.Sahu, harbour master captain A.C. Sahu, Sumant Kumar Biswal, President, Odisha Marine Fish Producers’ Association (OMFPA), Sumant Kumar Biswal were present.
